, 1887-03-26

N'UVF WOUIFC OII NIIVTIV1 WuW W 90 W IN
timately associated with the notable cpl
sodeS of the country'S history for forty
years back that the space at a newspapers
command can not do adequate justice to
it. His intimate friend and co-worker,
Thomas G. Sherman, yesterday reviewed
Tor the World the mOmoutOuS incidents Ill
Mr.. Beecher'S career.
"Mr. Beecher came to this church in
lo47,"said Mr., Shearman, sand preached his
first sermon at the opening of the church.
That was on June IL, 1847. The church,
then newly organized, had Immediately
extended a call to him, which he finally
accepted and he settled in the church as
pastor in October, 1847. He announced
at the very beginning that he intended to
take a perfectly free line on all great ques-
tions, especially on slavery and temper
ance, and did not propose to be affected
IN any way by any considerations OF pru'
dence or success. The church was burned
down when he had been here q little more
than a year and then he fell sick and finally
went to England, more for the voyage than
anything else, and thus it was not until
the middle of 1850 that he really got tho
roughly to work.
"Quite early in 1850 the slavery question
had become the most prominent issue OF
the day. Mr.. Clay had proposed his com
promise, while Mr.. Calhoun, on the part
of the South, strongly opposed all cOmpr0-
mise, and the Northern Anti-Slavery party
on their side also opposed compromise.
1t was about this time that the Journal Of
Commerce had published an article threat"
ening that clergymen who spoke III their
pulpits on the subject of slavery would
have their coats rolled in the dirt IhaG
reused all tile spirit there was III NAT.
Beecher and he challenged the editor OF
the Journal of Commerce TO a debate III the
newspapers, which was carried on 1or
some time, Mr.. Beecher writing then IN
the Independent, edited by DR.. Storrs and
DIR, Leonard Bacon. Mr.. Beechers articles
were so f.licitous and so effective that they
attracted universal attention. John y.
Calhoun had them read aloud to HIM ana
pronounced them the ableSt articles CnaC
had ever been written on the subject, say
ing repeatedly That man understands
the subject : that man has the true idea
of course not meaning that he approved OF
Mr.. Beechcr's views on slavery, but that
he heartily approved of his argument that
it was impossible to compromise the ques-
ton. This occurrence was published short
IL afterwards in a very graphic manner
hy Calhoun'S private secretary and gave
Beechrr u national reputation. Prior to
this his reputation had been local.
"The Fugitives Slave law was passed in
September, 1850, and that again aroused
Mr.. Beecher intensely and led to his
preaching numerous sermons, mostly III
the evenings; extracts from which were re-
published all over the country. His church
stood by him in all this in the main very
heartily, although there were always quite
q number of members personally attached
to Mr.. Beecher who did not agree with
him Oh the slavery question.
"When Mrs. Stoves Uncle Toms Cabin
was published in 1852 Henry Ward Beecher
had become so well known that thousands
of people were foolish enough to believe
that he had written the book for her, where
as in England Mrs. Stoves name became
so much more famous than his that for
many years the English papers, whenever
they spoke of him at all, were accustomed
to mention him as Mr.. Beecher Stowe.
Il "sHARP's RIFLE" SPEECH
ain 1856 the slavery excitement had as.
sumed that intensity which so surely
pointed to the arbitrament of arms as its
only solution. 1t was at this time that the
famods Sharp's rifle scene occurred. Con.
gress had left the people of Kansas to fight
out theslavery question among themselves.
The Missourians were naturally the first